Fabulous tableware by new designers Black+Blum

Original and stylish items: glasses, candle holders, water bottles, cutlery and lots more. The Taster’s fave new designers. The last word in chic. Click on the pic for more

Himalayan cooking slabs, rocks and ground salt

Amazing cookstones, slabs, small ‘rocks’ and ground salts, all made of Himalayan salt. The cooking slabs make really original gifts for foodies, while the bags of ready-to-use ground salt are excellent stocking fillers. Click on the pic for more – NB quote “TASTER25” for a very generous 25% off everything on the Saltan website.

Make your own yoghurt

This yoghurt-maker was a nice surprise in more ways than one. First, it turns out that making a tub of yoghurt is as easy as making as a cup of tea! Second, the result has a fresh, delicate texture, often with a slight bubbliness at the top which reminded The Taster of the yoghurts of his youth, when they were presumably made with fewer additives. Third, the makers claim that the extreme freshness of the live culture makes it better for you, as many more of the microbes are alive than in yoghurts which have been sitting on the shelf for weeks. Certainly, there is a lightness and freshness to this yoghurt we found very appealing, and there is something about making it from scratch yourself which encourages experimentation and variation. Our top tip is to add lemon juice and a sprinkling of black pepper to the strawberry yoghurt – really good!
The yoghurt-maker & six packs of mix is currently on special offer at just £14 (down from £22) from Hansells.

Wine Tasting Classes

If you want to give someone An Experience rather than More Stuff, our very own wine columnist, Richard J. Smith, runs wine classes and events across Cheshire. Richard is a delightful chap who will be sure to provide a friendly and amusing experience, along with lots of insider info and top wine tips. Book an event for a friend to attend or, if you suspect they’d rather choose an event themselves, you can give them a gift voucher for £25, £50, £75 or £100 to spend as they prefer. If you’re running out of time (aagh! Christmas countdown! etc) the vouchers can be sent as eVouchers, sent to the recipient immediately upon payment. See all details on wineschoolofcheshire

More experiences – smokehousing in Shropshire, breadmaking across the UK, or Food Adventures in South Wales

Make Sausages and Cider, or learn about smoking and curing, at Pool Cottage Smallholding; learn how to bake bread from basic loaves to Italian and French speciality with the Bread Angels; or gird your loins for a course in anything from wild foraging to Butchery & Beer days with Food Adventure

Give a Foodie Charitable Gift

Pic (c) Chris WattTel 07887 554 193www.chriswatt.com

If you want to give beyond friends and family this Christmas, consider Mary’s Meals. Technically, all the charity provides is lunches for schoolchildren in the developing world – but in reality, this means giving struggling, hungry boys and girls the motivation and energy needed to get to school, get an education and build better futures for themselves. A brilliantly simple idea that is cheap but fantastically effective, with benefits that go far beyond lunchtime

Highly Original Foodie Cookbook

Authors Wendy Trusler and Carol Devine relate the tale of Antarctica’s first cleanup, carried out by 54 volunteers from five countries. In three months, they cleared the detritus of 30 years’ worth of previous expeditions. But while most of the volunteers were clearing rubbish, someone had to do the cooking. As the authors say, ‘The first thing that comes to mind about Antarctica is not likely the food. But if you are going there, it is the second.’ Trusler spent ‘many long, white nights’ devising menus with limited ingredients in a camp kitchen — with some success, if the 42 recipes given are anything to go by. The international nature of the project is evident in dishes from Great Wall [of China] dumplings to fondue, goulash and roast leg of lamb. Along with many original illustrations and photos, the book reproduces Shackleton’s hilarious — but impressive — advertisement for volunteers: ‘Men wanted for hazardous journey . . .’ (you’ll have to buy it yourself to get the punchline.) A handsome and unusual book, of interest to foodies, geographers and historians. £25 from publishers Harper Design 2015

Christmas Hampers

Two of The Taster’s friends are producing Christmas hampers this year. The joy of hampers is that if your family includes one or two large branches, instead of buying each individual a present, you can buy them one large hamper as a Joint Present for All. It’s actually sometimes cheaper than buying individual presents, and you can let them fight it out for the choicer items. Try Cornwall’s Etherington’s Farmshop (excellent value; traditional wicker hamper of Cornish goodies for just £25) and Low Sizergh Barn up in Cumbria (themed Christmas hampers include the Ginger Lovers Hamper; Cumbrian Storecupboard Hamper, Chocolate Lovers Hamper, etc) ranging from £25 to larger hampers at £90

Very Chic Ginger Liqueur

For the spirit-lover in your life. This chic, scalloped bottle of French ginger liqueur (Domaine de Canton) is very impressive in reality (we assumed it would be quite a small bottle — but no, it’s a very satisfying size indeed!). Cleverly reminiscent of pieces of raw ginger, the bottle itself is an attractive piece, and the contents festively delicious. A good after-dinner liqueur, it adds a spicy seasonal note to cocktails, chocolate or orange puddings, sushi, pork or Thai food. Order at thewhiskyexchange.com (use the search option to find “Domaine de Canton”) £32

Exceptionally Good-Value Handmade Pottery

Handmade, artisan chinaware, pottery & gifts at amazingly cheap prices. These two Continental cups or the handmade bowl below would not look overpriced in a Knightsbridge boutique at £20 each; shop savvy and get them for a mere fiver each at Sun Pottery

For the Self-Sufficiency Enthusiast/Bear Grylls Type

For the self-sufficiency enthusiast: an entire collection of 12 self-sufficiency books, from foraging to cheese-making and bee-keeping, some of which have been featured in The Taster — an amazing bargain for just £9.99 here. Titles include Grow Your Own, Herbs & Spices, Home Brewing and more

Wine aerator

Domu produce this and similar gadgets, of interest to all wine-lovers. You pour the wine in the top, let it bubble down, and it really does transform some wines, especially cheaper reds, into something special

The Best and Only Independent National Food & Drink Magazine in the UK Today

Be part of our world. Order a subscription today, let us know if it’s a gift & we’ll put a special message in. Every season your friend will be reminded of your thoughtful gift, as they receive another lovely new issue of The Taster. And remember: this is not just subscribing to any old food & drink mag — this is subscribing to a foodie magazine that is, unusually, NOT sponsored by a giant supermarket, television company or any other huge and faceless corporate entity. For example, you will never read a lovely article about Shopping Local in our magazine, only to be presented with an exhaustive list of the best out-of-town hypermarkets at which to purchase matching wines. A full year’s subs is currently just £10 — total bargain. Click to order

Upcycled Plates

We very much like these made-over vintage plates; see lots more unique sets by alijoedesigns